Pencil-sharpener.



No. 666,482. Patented 1an. 22, Ism.

n. T. SMITH.

PENCIL SHARPENEB.

(Application filed Sept. 28.1 1900.) (N o M ode l llllllllllllIlllllllllllllll l l n l u Ellllllllllllllllllllll m05/ www enerembodying my invention.

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ROSWELL T. SMITH, OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

PENCIL-SHARPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,482, dated January22, 1901.

Application filed September 28, 1900. Serial No. 31,439. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROSWELL T. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nashua, in the county of Hillsborough and State of NewHampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencil-Sharpeners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

y invention relates to improvements in pencil-Sharpeners; and itconsists in a machine having a hollow pencil-holder, gearing for feedingthe said pencil forward and at the same time rotating it, antifrictionmeans for applying the pencil to a knife, and means for operating thegearing.

It further consists in a machine provided with means for feeding apencil forward to a knife while revolving the pencil, antifriction meansfor holding the pencil against the said knife, and an emery-wheel forsharpening the point of the pencil, whereby the wood and the lead of thepencil may be sharpened properly and simultaneously.

It further consists of certain other constructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of apencil-sharp- Fig. 2represents a side elevation of the same, thepencilholding mechanism being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detailvertical section through the machine, illustrating antifriction meansfor forcing the pencil against the knife-blade; and Fig. et is a detailview showing the adjustable means for holding the emery-wheel inposition.

A pencil-Sharpener such as I contemplate producing is provided withmeans for holding a pencil so as to revolve the same and at the same'time feed it longitudinally toward a cutting mechanism, as well ashaving means for sharpening the point of the lead in the pencil. Thedevice is preferably provided with a standard or frame 1, which hasuprights at each end, one of said uprights being provided with abifurcated upper portion 2, which has bearings for supporting therevolving pencil-holder 3. The pencil-holder 3 is formed with a reducedouter end adapted to engage one of said bearings, as at 4, while theother bearing 5 is larger and provided with internal threads adapted toengage eX- ternal threads 6, formed upon the enlarged portion of thesaid pencil-holder 3. To the inner end of the holder 3 is secured anelongated pinion or gear wheel 7, which is riveted or otherwise rigidlysecured to the holder 3, so as to turn the same. The inner end of thesaid holder is further provided with a series of pivoted jaws, as 8 8,which at their free ends are adapted toimpinge upon apencil and areforced against the said pencil by a nut 9, which screws upon the saidholder 3 and is provided with an interior beveled surface 10 forengaging the beveled free end of the jaws 8. By screwing the nut 9 uponthe holder 3 the jaws 8 can be forced tightly against the pencil to holdit in position. These jaws are pivoted at their fixed ends in slots ornotches, as 11, formed in the holder 3. The holder 3 is rotated by meansof the pinion 7, which engages and meshes with a gear-wheel l2, securedtoapower-shaft 13. The said shaft finds bearings at its ends in theuprights of the frame 1 and carries a gear-wheel14,which meshes with agear-wheel 15, secured to the counter-shaft 16, the said counter-shaft16 being much shorter than the shaft 13 and also iinding bearings in thestandards formed upon the frame 1. A handle 17 is employed to turn theshaft 13. The shaft 16 extends beyond its bearings at its inner end andis adapted to receive and carry a beveled emery-Wheel, as 13, which isproperly situated to engage the point of the pencil being sharpened.This emery-wheel 18 is preferably adjustably secured in position uponthe said shaft 16 and is provided upon its inner surface with a notch,as at 19, which is adapted to be engaged by a spring 20, secured in thelongitudinal groove 21, formed in the shaft 16. The emery-wheel is thusremovably held in position upon the said shaft and when in position isforced to turn with the same. The movement of the shaft 13 communicatessimultaneously a rotary movement to the pencilholder 3 and to theemery-wheel 18. Situated upon the base 1 at a suitable point between theemery-wheel and the holder 3 is a cutting-knife 22. This knife isprovided with a beveled cutting edge at its outer end and is also formedwith a longitudinal slot 23, through which screws, as 24 24, may passICO ,ting-knife.

to secure the said knife to a standard 25 on the frame l. This slot 23is of suicient length to permit of a vertical adjustment of the saidknife. Secured to the opposite side of the standard 25 and extending upto a point opposite the beveled cutting edge of the knife is anantifriction-bearing formed by brackets 26 26, which hold between themopposite the knife-edge a series of antifriction ball-rollers, as 27 27.These rollers areprovided with journals or trunnions, as 28 28, uponeach side, which engage bearings in one or more brackets 26. The upperends of the brackets 26 are curved, as clearly seen in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, so that the ball-rollers are held in a proper position to titabout half-way around the pencil and present the same to the cut- Theknife 22 is preferably arranged atan angle with respect to the aXis ofthe pencil-holder, so that the usual incline cut in sharpening a pencilwill be produced. The pencil having its wooden sheathing or coveringthus tapered is further presented to the emery-wheel, so that the leador writing portion of the pencil will also receive a proper point. Abox, as 29, to catch the chips or shaviugs is located beneath the cutting-knife and the emery-wheel, as is seen in Figs. l and 2 of thedrawings.

In sharpening a pencil the pencil is inserted from the outer end intothe holder 3, and its inner end is permitted to project a properdistance beyond the said holder to engage the knife and emery-wheel. Thejaws 8 are then clamped upon the pencil by tightening the nut 9, afterwhich the parts are in readiness for operation. By turning the shaft` 13the pencil-holder will be rotated through the agency of the gear-wheelsl2 and 7, the said rotation also causing the pencil-holder to be fedtoward the knife on account of the engagement of the screw-threads 6with the threaded aperture 5. The elongated teeth upon the pinion 7permit of the movement of the said pinion longitudinally with respect tothe gear-wheel l2 without causing the said wheels to get out of meshwith each other. The antifriction-balls 27 27 will receive the end ofthe pencil and will hold the same against the cutting-knife, and thelead of the pencil will proceed toward the emery-wheel, which willengage the same in due course for putting a proper point upon it. Theangle of the knife 22 and the bevel of the emerywheel a're suitable forproperly tapering the sharpened end of the pencil. The shavings andchips will be caught in the box 29 land may be emptied at suitableperiods of time, as will be found desirable.

My improved pencil-:Sharpener is simple in construction and yet veryeffective for sharpening pencils and will not get out of order readily.

The antifriction means for holding the pencil against the knife is animportant feature of the invention and renders the sharpening of thepencil much easier than where other means have been employed for such apurose.

p After a pencil has been sharpened it can be quickly and readilywithdrawn from the knife by reversing the crank-shaft, when the pencilmay be readily removed from its holder.

It will be seen that my pencil-holderis given a positive movement onaccount of the direct screw action brought to bear upon the same.

The device is so simple as to require no special mechanism for throwingthe gear out of mesh or for disconnecting the feed mechanism, as inother devices heretofore used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pencil-Sharpener, comprising a pencilholder, a knife, means formedon the exterior of the holder for revolving the said holder and meansfor feeding the same longitudinally for presenting a pencil to theknife, and rollers for holding the pencil against the said knife,substantially as described.

2. A pencil-Sharpener, comprising means for rotating a pencil, and meansfor feeding said pencil longitudinally, a knife for engaging the same,and antifriction means for holding the pencil against the said knife,comprising a series of ball-rollers for partially inclosing the pencilon one side to hold the same in proper position with respect to the saidknife, substantially as described.

3. A pencil-Sharpener, comprising a holder for revolving and feeding apencil longitudinally, a knife adjustably mounted upon the frame of themachine and arranged at an angle to the axis of the pencil, a bracketarranged opposite the said knife, series of antifriction-rollers mountedin the said bracket and adapted to partially inclose the pencil forholding it firmly against the knife, a beveled emery-wheel for pointingthe pencil, and means for turning the emery-wheel and pencil-holder simultaneously,substanti ally as described.

4. A pencil-Sharpener, comprising a pencilholder for feeding the pencilto be sharpened, a knife for engaging the same, a beveled. emery-wheelfor pointing the pencil, a shaft supporting the same, the said shafthaving a longitudinal groove formed therein, a spring mounted in thesaid groove and adapted to engage a notched or grooved portion formed inthe inner periphery of the emery-whcel, and means for turning the saidshaft, whereby the emery-wheel will be rotated, the spring affording ameans for holding the emery-wheel adj ustably and removably upon thesaid shaft, substantially described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ali'ix my signature in presence'of twowitnesses.

ROSWELL T. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JOHN FUCHS, CHARLES A. GONZENBART.

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